A GOP-loathing gunman turned a ballfield into a bloody battlefield, critically wounding the House majority whip in a Virginia shooting spree that targeted two dozen Republicans.

Scores of bullets tore across the diamond Wednesday morning as lone shooter James Hodgkinson appeared behind the third-base dugout and opened fire as lawmakers took batting practice for a charity baseball game.

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Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) remained in critical condition after a bullet to the hip knocked him flat near second base in the Alexandria, Va., ballpark.

The relentless attacker left Scalise, 51, bleeding in the dirt before he wounded three other victims on the hot and humid morning, authorities said.

"He had a lot of ammo," said one politician.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot while practicing for an upcoming baseball game. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Hodgkinson was killed by multiple police bullets, ending the furious five-minute fusillade, with a wounded member of Scalise's security team firing one of the fatal shots at 7:14 a.m.

"A ferocious gun battle," said Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown. "Quite frankly, it was not only chaotic. It was a combat situation."

Authorities said Hodgkinson acted alone, and offered no guesses at his motive. But the hard-core left winger was a constant, vociferous critic of both the Republican Party and President Trump.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, a former Army combat surgeon in Iraq, said the brutal and unexpected attack caused some flashbacks.

"You never expect a baseball field in America to feel like being back in a combat zone in Iraq," said Wenstrup. "But this morning it did."

Witnesses said Hodgkinson fired as many as 50 shots, though FBI officials would not confirm those accounts.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Fla.) recounted how he and his colleagues, along with the son of Texas Rep. Joe Barton, clambered into the first-base dugout — only to realize the spot offered zero protection.

"We were sitting ducks," said Fleischmann. "There was blood all over the place ... It seemed like it took forever to subdue the shooter."

Officer Crystal Griner, 32, suffered a bullet wound to her ankle, while colleague David Bailey was treated for injuries at a nearby hospital.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said the wounded Griner delivered the final shot as Hodgkinson continued firing.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump talk with Dr. Ira Y. Rabin, left, after visiting MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, Wednesday, where House Majority Leader Steve Scalise was taken after being shot during a Congressional baseball practice. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

"Many lives would have been lost if not for the heroic actions of the two Capitol Police officers," Trump said.

Lobbyist Matt Mika, 38, of Tyson Foods, a former congressional aide, was also in critical condition after undergoing surgery for multiple gunshot wounds, according to his family.

A member of Texas Rep. Roger Williams' staff was the fourth victim, although aide Zach Barth, 24, was treated and released. Williams suffered an ankle sprain while diving into a dugout as he fled the shooter.

Trump, on his 71st birthday, broke the news of Hodgkinson's death to the nation in a late-morning television appearance.

Scalise was described as coherent and was taken away on a stretcher. (ABC)

"Everyone on that field is a public servant," said Trump, who was one of the shooter's favorite Republican whipping boys. "Their sacrifice makes democracy possible."

Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) offered a possible clue to the shooter's intentions. As he left the practice just prior to the shooting, a man approached and asked whether Republicans or Democrats were on the field.

"I told him they were Republicans," said DeSantis, who later identified the stranger as the shooter. "He said, 'Ok, thanks.' I got into my car to learn my Republican colleagues were targeted."

The practice, beginning at 6 a.m., was the final warm-up before the Republicans squared off Thursday night with their Democratic partners in an annual charity game at Nationals Park.

Scalise, seen on a 2016 Congressional Baseball Game card, was an active member of the GOP team. (Polaris)

"Let me be as clear as I can be," said Sanders. "Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms."

Hodgkinson was alone when he arrived at the baseball field outside Washington. The quiet neighborhood soon exploded in the sounds of gunfire.

"A barrage of gunshots," said David Thomas, 49, who was leaving the nearby YMCA. "I had a line of vision of the gentleman shooting. He was just shooting at the direction of the softball field.

"I see people falling. I can see people running and scattering."

Witnesses said some 50 shots were fired on the field. (TWITTER/@JOEMISCAVIGE via REUTERS)

Neighbor John Patrick was still sleeping when the bullets started flying.

"I was awoken by gun shots," said Patrick, who lives across the street from the field. "Thought it was construction ... my wife said there was shooting.

"When I went out in the lot across the street I could see them tending to a person."

Tim Slater, head of the FBI's Washington office, said agents were scouring the slain suspect's electronic devices in hopes of gaining some insight into his thoughts.

The area around the field was shut down after the gunman and security guards exchanged fire. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Politicians on both sides of the aisle expressed their horror over the shooting, and expressed hope that the tragedy might end the bitter partisan bickering of recent months.

Rep. Rodney Davis — who nearly ran directly into the shooter while fleeing the ballpark — said the national divisiveness needed to end.

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"There's such a hatefulness in what we see in American politics today," said Davis, who found refuge in a stranger's apartment. "This has got to stop."

Security was ramped up at the Capitol in the wake of the attack.

Scalise has round-the-clock security because of his position, and their presence at the scene "made a significant difference," Slater said.

But their presence didn't protect Scalise, who was already down as the gunfire escalated and others scattered for cover. Wenstrup ran into the outfield to assist his wounded pal.

"Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a true friend and patriot, was badly injured but will fully recover," Trump tweeted hours before visiting Scalise. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him."

Trump's only public event of the day, a visit to the Department of Labor, was canceled because of the shooting.

Wounded Officer Griner was "in good condition and we look forward to a rapid recovery," said Chief Matthew Verderosa of the Capitol Police. She was rushed to the hospital by helicopter.

NYPD counterterror chief John Miller, at an unrelated City Council hearing, said critical response command officers were stationed at City Hall and other government buildings in response to the shooting.